David is brought to the point of ultimate despair by having his wives and children taken. Saul loses his life along with his sons. In all ways we reap what we sow.
1 Samuel 30: David's Wives Are Captured
1 Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire
2 and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way.
3 And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive.
4 Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep.
5 David's two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel.
6 And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.
7 And David said to Abiathar the priest, the son of Ahimelech, "Bring me the ephod." So Abiathar brought the ephod to David.
8 And David inquired of the LORD, "Shall I pursue after this band? Shall I overtake them?" He answered him, "Pursue, for you shall surely overtake and shall surely rescue."
9 So David set out, and the six hundred men who were with him, and they came to the brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed.
10 But David pursued, he and four hundred men. Two hundred stayed behind, who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor.
11 They found an Egyptian in the open country and brought him to David. And they gave him bread and he ate. They gave him water to drink,
12 and they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins. And when he had eaten, his spirit revived, for he had not eaten bread or drunk water for three days and three nights.
13 And David said to him, "To whom do you belong? And where are you from?" He said, "I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite, and my master left me behind because I fell sick three days ago.
14 We had made a raid against the Negeb of the Cherethites and against that which belongs to Judah and against the Negeb of Caleb, and we burned Ziklag with fire."
15 And David said to him, "Will you take me down to this band?" And he said, "Swear to me by God that you will not kill me or deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will take you down to this band."
David Defeats the Amalekites
16 And when he had taken him down, behold, they were spread abroad over all the land, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.
17 And David struck them down from twilight until the evening of the next day, and not a man of them escaped, except four hundred young men, who mounted camels and fled.
18 David recovered all that the Amalekites had taken, and David rescued his two wives.
19 Nothing was missing, whether small or great, sons or daughters, spoil or anything that had been taken. David brought back all.
20 David also captured all the flocks and herds, and the people drove the livestock before him, and said, "This is David's spoil."
21 Then David came to the two hundred men who had been too exhausted to follow David, and who had been left at the brook Besor. And they went out to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people he greeted them.
22 Then all the wicked and worthless fellows among the men who had gone with David said, "Because they did not go with us, we will not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except that each man may lead away his wife and children, and depart."
23 But David said, "You shall not do so, my brothers, with what the LORD has given us. He has preserved us and given into our hand the band that came against us.
24 Who would listen to you in this matter? For as his share is who goes down into the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the baggage. They shall share alike."
25 And he made it a statute and a rule for Israel from that day forward to this day.
26 When David came to Ziklag, he sent part of the spoil to his friends, the elders of Judah, saying, "Here is a present for you from the spoil of the enemies of the LORD."
27 It was for those in Bethel, in Ramoth of the Negeb, in Jattir,
28 in Aroer, in Siphmoth, in Eshtemoa,
29 in Racal, in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, in the cities of the Kenites,
30 in Hormah, in Bor-ashan, in Athach,
31 in Hebron, for all the places where David and his men had roamed.
1 Samuel 31: The Death of Saul
1 Now the Philistines fought against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa.
2 And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul.
3 The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers.
4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, "Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me." But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it.
5 And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him.
6 Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together.
7 And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them.
8 The next day, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.
9 So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor and sent messengers throughout the land of the Philistines, to carry the good news to the house of their idols and to the people.
10 They put his armor in the temple of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan.
11 But when the inhabitants of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul,
12 all the valiant men arose and went all night and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Beth-shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there.
13 And they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk tree in Jabesh and fasted seven days.
Things to think about…
1. David and his men after returning from Aphek were exhausted from 3 days travel. At the end of it their city of Ziklag was a charred ruin, 1Sam 30:1-5. The text says they wept until there was no more strength in them. They were physically and emotionally exhausted. Have you ever been to that point in your life? Many have and some are going through it right now with the loss of life and property through the floods. Please send a prayer for those who are suffering loss in a season, a season where there should be hope, healing and salvation.
2. The only consolation is that there are no dead bodies anywhere, 1 Sam 30:2. The wives and children have been taken captive and are possibly still alive. This drives David and his men on. This is a mercy. Remember when David and his men did raids – they would kill everyone, including the women and children.
3. Though 200 men stay behind because they are simply exhausted after travelling to and from Aphek – almost 200 kms round trip on foot. 400 men carry on. Do you feel tempted to judge others who are weaker in the faith and who don’t seem to have the strength in Christ that you do? Take heed how you stand lest you fall. We only stand by grace through faith – we know this is a gift and nothing to do with us. Use your strength to encourage someone today in their walk with the Lord. Knowing that all earthly strength will be tested and eventually perish when we pass.
4. In 1 Sam 30:16-25 we see David and his men with energy that can only come from the Lord find and strike down the Amalekites from Twilight until dusk. They had marched and then fought all day. These men must have been near the point of total exhaustion. After winning the battle – the text says ‘worthless men’ did not want to share the spoil. David not only shares it with the 200 who stayed behind but also sends it out to other towns in Judah as a gift. All that was lost was restored and more was given. Our Lord blesses us with more than material wealth, but like David we are called to give it away. In what ways have you offered up to others the Father’s Gift? Share Jesus with someone in this season!
5. David shares the spoil with the other cities in Juidah where he had spent time, 1 Sam 30:26-31. This will be seen as turning point for David as he will soon reign as King of Judah from Hebron. A leader shows grace to those he rules over rather than causing fear and division. Sadly we see a prime example in Russia’s leadership in our present day where fear, distrust and division are on vivid display.
6. 1 Samuel 31 outlines the tragic demise of Saul – Israel’s first king. He died as Samuel said he would through the medium. It says after Saul died that Israel fled their cities, vs 7. This is what happens when we trust an earthly source for our provision and protection. Jobs, houses, spouses, children will all depart. We are seeing this at the moment with Russian oligarchs quickly losing super yachts, football clubs and villas over western sanctions on Russia. Do a quick assessment of the things that you put most of your time, energy and resources into. Is it going to last into eternity? Do you need to readjust and focus more upon your relationship with your Saviour and bringing Him glory – which will last for eternity. We reap what we sow!
7. The boldness and courage of the men of Jabesh-gilead is inspiring. This town was a city in N Trans-Jordan, which Saul saved from Nahash the Ammonite in 1 Samuel 11. These men show appreciation to Saul and his sons by retrieving their bodies and giving them an honourable burial, vs 13. We honour those who have sacrificed on our behalf to give us freedom. This is why Anzac Day and memorial days are important to remember and reflect upon. Our Lord of course is the ultimate One whom we give honour to as the protector of our souls into eternity.
Vision Point for cell groups – Cell groups on break over the school holidays
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Sunday’s sermon “Samuel the Judge” – reading 1 Samuel 7:3-17
1. Who is that person that has spoken into your life? They might be a patent, or close friend or a lifelong mentor. They can tell you anything whether you appreciate hearing it or not?
2. Some people are spiritual guides/mentors for nations. Billy Graham is an example in more recent history. Samuel the prophet and the last Judge of Israel fulfilled such a role. Do you remember some of the characteristics about Samuel’s ministry that made him fit for the role?
3. Israel wanted a king. They had rejected God’s rule over them. What was the physical sign of God’s displeasure at the decision they made? Jay spoke about this on Sunday. What about recent flood events along the east coast of Australia. Is this just a case of a natural weather event or is it a judgement of God? Discuss.
4. Samuel was summoned by a witch at Saul’s request after Samuel died. Samuel’s message didn’t change. We will all die and breathe our last breath. But we will live on. Does this encourage or frighten you?
5. Pray for each other and current events locally and around the world.
Prayer Points
1. Pray about your support to the floods in Qld and also to the Polish Baptist Church in Chelm efforts to support Ukrainian refugees. This is the church we will be supporting. You will need google chrome to translate https://baptysci-chelm.pl/kontakt .
2. Pray for the flood clean-up and all those affected a second and third time round.
3. Sally Gauntlett in care. Please pray for Richard and the family through this challenging time.
4. Ross Goltz is in constant pain. Has constant hip and joint pain. Seeking specialist help. Please pray for relief.
5. Families that have just started attending CBC.
6. Ukraine to repel Russia and peace to come.
7. Christ to be seen through us in our community.
8. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof.
9. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points
1. Most people inside Mariupol theatre in Ukraine that was bombed by the Russians are believed to have survived. They were in a bunker that held below the theatre. It is believed 1200 women and children were seeking refuge inside.
2. The world is responding overwhelmingly to the war in Ukraine. Has united the west and others against Putin’s evil.
3. People visiting church on Sunday.
4. Folk returning after being stranded by the floods and Covid.
5. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
6. Flood cleanup is restoring communities around Ipswich and Brisbane.
Announcements
1. Donation funds been set up to assist a Polish Baptist Church with Ukrainian refugees. Please label your donation – Ukraine appeal. The same will be the case for those who have gone through the floods in Qld. Label Flood appeal. This is the church we will be supporting. You will need google chrome to translate https://baptysci-chelm.pl/kontakt .
2. A new cell group has started at the church for residents around Karalee. Wed 7pm at church.
3. Kidz@Church every Sunday
4. Members Meeting next Sunday after the service.
5. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
6. Tune in again this week on our youtube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism question for March...
Q. 1. Did Christ remain in the grave after his crucifixion? A. No; he rose from the grave on the third day after his death.
Bible Reference – Luke. 24:45-47; 1Cor.15:3&4.
“Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known” Jer 33:3
